Game.



H. DORBER.

GAME.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 2,1915.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

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25 tages of my invention will appear from the HENRY DOBBER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

GAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917..

Application filed November 2, 1915. Serial N 0. 59,173.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY DORBER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Games, of which the following is a specification.

have invented an improvement in games, and particularly games of the type wherein a ball is propelled by hand along analley or runboard having one ormore objects at which the ball is aimed adjacent one end of the same; and the primary purpose of my invention is to provide a game of this general description which will be so constructed that the ball can be caused to take a bound before it reaches the aforesaid objects instead of being. projected against them directly, thus making. a greater demand upon the skill of the player; and which is adapted to afford the player an opportunity to make certain adjustments according. to the style or method which each individual player may adopt.

The above and other objects and advanfollowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and be clearly defined in the appended claims. The disclosure, herein, however, is illustrative only; and I reserve the right to make changes in the structure actually shown to the full extent indicated by the meaning of the terms in which the different claims are expressed. On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through an apparatus by which my im proved game is played, the plane of. section being indicated by the line 1-1 on Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a top plan of the same.

Fig. 3 is a front view of a frame supporting objects which are to be aimed at, adjacent the rear end of the device shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4; is a transverse vertical section on the line 44 of Fig. 2. i

Fig. 5 is a vertical'longitudinal section of a detail showing a modification.-

On the drawings the same numerals of reference indicate the same parts through out the several views.

In the particular description of the apparatus by which my improved game is played, I employ the numeral 1 to indicate an alley or runboard which may be made of suitable timbers, or other material, supported upon side beams in such a way as to present a smooth upper surface. At the far end of this run-board, which is shown as the right end in. Figs. 1 and 2, I mount an inclined frame carrying one or more objects which the players endeavor to knock over. The game is played by rolling balls along the top of the alley 1, and between the front end of the alley 1 and the frame 2 is an inclined surface which deflects the ball upward before it strikes the objects; which are shown as in the form of dolls or puppets 41 pivot-ally supported by the frame 2. The inclined surface just mentioned is provided by making a portion of the board 1 adjustable; that is to say, I take a transverse section 3 and hinge it to the main body of the alley 1 along its forward edge; and b lifting or lowering the rear edge of this section 3 the effect of the inclined upper surface is regulated. The dolls or puppets are indicated by the numeral 4., and the side beams of the alley by the numeral 5.

The alley 1 is provided with raised edges, produced by building it so that the upper surface of the rnnboard will be below the top of the side beams from the front almost to the rear'of the same; and likewise with ribs or strips of molding or the like 6, extending from the front end as far as the section 3. By means of the longitudinal ribs 6 the width of the alley is not only narrowed forward of the adjustable section 3, but also the balls used in playing the game are prevented from rolling over the edge of the alley, as in the case of ordinary ten pin alleys, when they are inaccurately aimed.

The section 3 can be made adjustable in various ways, but I prefer to mount beneath the runboard, adjacent to one side of the same, a bell-crank lever 7 one end of which has a slot and pin engagement with lugs 8 secured to the lower face of the section 3. The other end of this bell-crank lever will be pivoted to a rod 9 which. extends to the front end of the alley. This rod will be within reach of each of the players so that the section 3 can be raised to different degrees according to the inclination of each individual. I may also use a rack 10 and lever 11, with a pawl or catch to hold the rod 9 and section 3 in adjusted position.

The inclined frame 2 will have av number of horizontal rods 12 on which the objects 4 will be pivotally supported. These objects may be in the form of dolls or puppets, as above stated, or in fact represent anything suitable. Normally they will stand'in upright position and will have extensions 13 at their lower ends which will engage transverse rods or strips 1 1 at their lower ends in order to prevent the dolls or puppets passing beyond a certain point. The extensions 13 may have weights which will be suflicient to keep the dolls or puppets in upright position, but not to prevent any of them from being knocked over when struck. After the ball has passed, the weights will return the objects 4 to upright position and the ball will strike against a wall or partition at the rear of the frame 2 and drop to the floor 1 by gravity. An indicator, shown diagrammatically at 15 in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, may be connected to the objects 4 and be of such a design that it will register the score made in each instance. Such indicators are in extensive use, and I do not deem it necessary to describe the same more fully here. It is enough to state that the total score will be exhibited by the indicator at some convenient point, for example about the topmost object 4, as best illustrated in Fig. 3. The entire alley 1 inclines downward from back to front; and to the rear of the adjustable section 3 I dispose an obstruction or guide 17 in diagonal position. The object of this guide is to cause any of the balls which strike the wall or partition back of the frame 2 to roll down to the right and under the section 3 into a trough which guides them beneath the alley to the front end of the board to be used over. Adjacent the receiving end of the trough the balls are prevented from rolling oif the alley by the rear part of one of the raised edges of the side beams of the runboard. The trough in question is clearly indicated at 18 in Fig.

4: and in dotted lines on Fig. 2; it may be of any desired construction or material.

Instead of the bell-crank 7 I may employ a slotted link 9, pivoted to the under side of the section 3 and adapted to engage bolts and wing nuts fastened to the side beams of the alley 1.

The side beams 5 on which the alley is supported may be cut down flush with the propelling upper surface near the back as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 to enable the frame 2 and wall behind it to be more conveniently set up.

The utility of my improvement will now be apparent. The game may be played with any number of balls, such as seven or more for example, which will be propelled one by one along the alley toward the frame 2; and each of the puppets 4 may be selected as being worth a certain number of points to the player when the ball strikes and kooks over the same. The points will be registered by the indicator or counter 15; which may have suitable numbers so that the total score will always be exhibited at the top of the frame 2. It is known that some, players play better by using a fast ball and some play better by balls slowly; and in order to get the best results for these different styles of play different adjustments of the section 3 are necessary. Obviously by means of an operating rod 9 these different adjustments can be readily made. The game therefore can be played with the greatest gratification and pleasure by every one.

I also may make the frame 2 detachable in order that the alley 1 may be utilized to play ordinary ten pins thereon. In such an event the section 3 will simply be lowered until it is flush with the remainder of the surface of the alley 1.

Having described my invention, what- I believe to be new, and desire to secure and protect by Letters. Patent of the United States is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a runboard having an adjustable transverse balldeflecting section, and means for causing said section to assume various inclined positions.

2. A game apparatus comprising an alley or runboard having a transverse ball-deflecting section hinged thereto, one or more adjusting devices connected to said section, and means for engaging said devices to hold the section in various inclined positions.

3. A game apparatus comprising a runboard having a section hinged thereto, a bellcrank lever engaging said section, an operating rod extending to the front of said runboard and operable to cause the section to assume various inclined positions. and fastening means for said operating rod.

4. The combination of a runboard, a frame at one end of said board supporting a plurality of pivoted objects, said runboard having a transversely extending pivoted section in front of said frame, and means for adjusting said section to various inclined positions.

5. A game apparatus comprising a runboard having elevated lateral edges extending from the front of the board to a point adjacent the rear of the same, an adjustable section between said elevated edges and in advance of the rear ends thereof, a pair of longitudinal strips or guides between said elevated edges extending from the front of the board to said section, and a diagonal guide to the rear of said section extending from a point adjacent the rear end of one of said elevated lateral edges to a point ad- 10 jacent one side of said section.

Signed at New York, in the county of N eW York and State of New York this 18th day of October, A. D. 1915.

HENRY DORBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

